I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9019 

To establish a uniform definition of ‘‘rural area’’ for all rural development 

programs administered by the Department of Agriculture. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 11, 2024 

Mr. RUIZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 

committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish a uniform definition of ‘‘rural area’’ for all 

rural development programs administered by the Department of Agriculture. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Area Population 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. UNIFORM DEFINITION OF ‘‘RURAL AREA’’ FOR USDA 

2 RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 343(a)(13) of the Consoli4 dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

5 1991(a)(13)) is amended— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ‘‘urban7 ized’’ and insert ‘‘urban’’; 

8 (2) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C); 

9 (3) in subparagraph (D)— 

10 (A) by striking ‘‘(F)’’ each place it appears 

11 and inserting ‘‘(D)’’; and 

12 (B) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘urbanized’’ 

13 each place it appears and inserting ‘‘urban’’; 

14 (4) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘urban15 ized’’ and inserting ‘‘urban’’; 

16 (5) in subparagraph (F)— 

17 (A) in clause (i)(II), by striking ‘‘urban18 ized’’ and inserting ‘‘urban’’; and 

19 (B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘consider— 

20 ’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘consider 

21 an area described in clause (i)(I) not to be a 

22 rural area for purposes of subparagraph (A).’’; 

23 and 

24 (6) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) 

25 through (I) as subparagraphs (B) through (G), re26 spectively. 


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1 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO THE RURAL

2 ELECTRIFICATION ACT OF 1936.— 

3 (1) Section 13(3) of the Rural Electrification 

4 Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 913(3)) is amended— 

5 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘(C)’’ 

6 each place it appears and inserting ‘‘(A)’’; and 

7 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

8 ‘‘loan’’ and inserting ‘‘loan, or has had a loan,’’ 

9 before ‘‘made under’’. 

10 (2) Section 203(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 

11 924(b)) is amended to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(b) In this title, the term ‘rural area’ shall have the 

13 meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consoli14 dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

15 1991(a)(13)(A)).’’. 

16 (3) Section 601(b)(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 

17 950bb(b)(3)) is amended to read as follows: 

18 ‘‘(3) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ shall 

19 have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) 

20 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

21 Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).’’. 

22 (4) Section 604(a)(4) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 

23 950bb–3(a)(4)) is amended to read as follows: 

24 ‘‘(4) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ shall 

25 have the meaning given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) 


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1 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

2 Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).’’. 

3 (c) HOUSING PROVISIONS.—Section 520 of the Hous4 ing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490) is amended— 

5 (1) by striking the first sentence and inserting 

6 the following: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—As used in this 

7 title, the term ‘rural area’ shall have the meaning 

8 given the term in 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated 

9 Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

10 1991(a)(13)(A)).’’; 

11 (2) by striking ‘‘For purposes of this title’’ and 

12 inserting the following: 

13 ‘‘(b) LEGACY AREAS.—For purposes of this title’’; 

14 (3) by striking ‘‘, and the city’’ and all that fol15 lows through ‘‘year 2000’’; and 

16 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(c) RURAL DEFINED.—As used in this title, the 

18 term ‘rural’ shall have the meaning given the term ‘rural 

19 area’ in subsection (a).’’. 

20 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

21 this Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of the 

22 enactment of this Act. 


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1 (e) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary of Agriculture 

2 shall prescribe such rules as are necessary with respect 

3 to implementing the amendments made by this Act. 

Æ 


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